Water scarcity has reached a crisis point in northern Syria Climate crisis news

For 71 of his 81 years, Abu Mohammad Sheikh Hussein has been exploiting land in northeastern Syria. He has seen some of the lowest water levels in his vivid memory in the last two years, he said.

“First, those who lived far from the river dug the groundwater, and they found water. But now, no matter how deep, they can’t find a source of water. ‘

Having lost access to underground sources, Sheikh Hussein explained that he and others in the area are now dependent on the Euphrates River, which is close to his home.

However, the river has been reduced to “low critical” levels this year, a report By the World Food Program.

More than five million people depend on the longest river in Syria for water source and livelihood, and the electricity produced by the river’s hydroelectric dam supplies about three million people.

Sheikh Hussein noted that due to low water levels, he and his family receive only about two hours of electricity a day.

The combination of rising temperature and falling rainfall has led to a reduction in water levels in the Euphrates.

Another factor that is perceived to affect local water levels is the numerous dam projects over the river in Turkey, part of a decades-long development project to build 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

“Another layer of suffering”

According to a project manager working at the Mercy Corps in northeastern Syria, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, the Tishreen Dam, one of the two main dams on the Euphrates, is 47 centimeters from the “dead level”.

He explained that every day the water level drops by one centimeter, which is 47 days before the dam is taken out of service.

“The cost of bringing [the dam] the return to service will be tremendous, “he said.” As the turbines come to a complete stop, the existing water will flood all the electrical equipment. And because of the conflict … there is no Plan B, and no diesel generator to drain water from the tunnels or electrical equipment to protect. ‘

With that fuel prices almost triple this year in Syria, pumping water is also much more expensive. The project manager at Mercy Corp said this has “increased the cost of farming, and ultimately [increased] the price of grain and bread. ”

He added that due to the water crisis, many people are “dependent on stagnant water from irrigation canals”, which has “spread water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and intestinal infections”.

In addition to the disease, he noted that collecting water from canals can be dangerous. “There were seven cases [in summer 2021] when they were trying to get water from people who were drowning in these irrigation canals. All these people are women and children. ”

After 10 years of conflict, the project manager explained that water scarcity is adding “another layer to the suffering of the people of the region”.

This comes after a report by 13 organizations in the region, warning that urgent measures are needed to tackle the serious water crisis.

At the end of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow on Friday, the project manager said he hopes the international community will invest more in sustainable programs and alleviate the suffering caused by the combination of climate change, economic instability, conflict. , and the COVID-19 pandemic.

No cheap water

In contrast, in northeastern Syria, where the main source of water is the Euphrates River, the main sources of water in northwestern Syria are land wells and springs. The rebel-held areas in the northwest of the country have been under constant attack, often protected by Russia, compared to the relative calm in the northeast controlled by the Kurds.

Jamal al-Ali, a former assistant engineer who fled to Damascus in Idlib province during the conflict, told Al Jazeera that the electricity and water supply in his area is intermittent and expensive. Some infrastructure is said to be provided by the Turkish government, and the rest is provided by private companies.

“We get water from privately owned wells,” he said, explaining that 20 liters is worth $ 60, an amount that is inaccessible to many, and exacerbated by a significant loss of value in the Syrian pound. “To make drinking water, we buy filtered water in the markets.”

He also explained that the only electricity supply they have today comes from solar panels placed on the roof of the house, which is common in the area.

“We have solar panels to power the batteries with LED bulbs,” al-Ali said. “Batteries are very expensive to buy, so we don’t have enough electricity to operate a refrigerator or a TV.

“Thank you for giving me water. If there is money, there is water. If there is no money, there is no water, ”he said.

The dire consequences for the future

Engineer Jamal Diban, head of Idleb’s chief drinking water directorate, said the water comes from underground wells and nearby springs and is available in “most cities in the region”.

However, he added that this drains the water supply and “requires a high cost of extraction”.

Diban added that the pumping stations need to be rehabilitated, and the Public Drinking Water Establishment “calls on humanitarian organizations to help rehabilitate these stations.”

As airstrikes continue in some parts of northwestern Syria, the conflict has affected and continues to affect infrastructure. “The bombings … happen from time to time,” al-Ali said.

According to Khaldoon A Mourad, a senior researcher in the integrated management of Syrian water resources who currently lives in Sweden, “the conflict has damaged most of the infrastructure in some Syrian cities, and [has] the quality and quantity of the water affected ”.

Mourad added that a lack of funds and an unstable security situation are hampering rehabilitation efforts.

Although some agreements exist on transboundary water issues, Mourad stressed that regional actors and decision-makers need to work together to “find possible regional solutions to water scarcity”.

The Mercy Corps project manager stressed: “If the Euphrates water level does not rise, we will have a major crisis in electricity and infrastructure in northeastern Syria.”

Asked if there was any hope for a future of water in Syria, al-Ali shook his head. “I don’t think there is a solution. It’s impossible. “